Hopewell library looks for a more compliant work space as it celebrates 100th birthday

The beautiful, historic windows of the borough’s public library are blocked from sight by stacks of books that line the walls, bookshelves are too close to walls, and a storage closet doubles as the copy room.

“The library is lovely and historic as it is, until you walk in and realize it doesn’t function the way that a library should,” library director Anne Zeman said.

The quaint, two-story red brick building may have many charming aspects, but the town has growing needs that the old library no longer can accommodate. A move is planned to a larger facility that can also be expanded.

The library is in a narrow building on East Broad Street — originally Hopewell National Bank, and then a U.S. post office — where the book lending operation has been since 1965. It does not have space for parking and is not compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, Zeman said.

As the library makes ready to celebrate its 100th birthday this year, the board of trustees has identified a new site for the library at the Amy Karyn building just down the street at 64 E. Broad St., which is a one-story structure measuring 2,100 square feet.

The board presented the idea to move the library at a borough council meeting earlier this month, and was encouraged to hold a public meeting to hear the opinions of residents. Zeman said that the meeting will likely happen early next month.

The Karyn building’s listed sale price is $999,999, and the borough would pay for the purchase. The costs of moving and renovating would be paid for through a fundraising campaign, Woody Carsky-Wilson, president of the board of trustees, said at the council meeting.

Zeman said that the library will expand at the new location because an addition to the building will result in a 5,000-square-foot library, an option that would not be possible at the current location.

“We would prefer to stay in this lovely space but we’re within the limits of the property lines,” she said. “The setbacks are not large enough to expand the building.”
There have been many occasions, Zeman said, when library users had to be turned away because the occupancy limit was exceeded and people had to be sent away to avoid a violation of the fire code.

The current red building was erected in 1890 and served as a home for the Hopewell National Bank. The library was founded inside an old harness shop on March 14, 1914, moved into a museum building in the 1920s and later moved to the current location in the old bank building.

The library is also holding a free community event Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to celebrate its centennial. Participants will start at the library where they will receive a map of the town and visit various places to hear stories and poetry, see a slideshow of the library’s history and eat pizza and cookies before returning to the library, Zeman said.

Tickets were also sold for a gala celebration for the library Saturday night at the Off-Broadstreet Theater, featuring a DJ playing songs from every decade, a photo booth, a silent auction of autographed books and arts, and a dinner by Brothers Moon restaurant. Tickets were sold for $100 and the proceeds will fund library facilities and equipment, according to the library’s website.